Onur Üzülmez began his musical journey at Hacettepe University, excelling under esteemed mentors. He continued his studies, earning a master’s and a doctorate, and contributed significantly to bassoon and contrabassoon artistry. Üzülmez has performed with numerous prestigious orchestras and participated in international festivals. As an associate professor, he is dedicated to educating future musicians at Hacettepe University.
About
Onur Üzülmez began his musical education in 1992 at Hacettepe University Ankara State Conservatory under the tutelage of Orhan Nuri Göktürk, a solo bassoon artist with the Presidential Symphony Orchestra. Following the passing of his mentor, Üzülmez continued his studies with Tahsin Arslan. Due to his exceptional performance during his university years, he advanced his education by skipping a year. He completed his three-year undergraduate program at Hacettepe University in 2002 and subsequently began his role as the principal bassoonist for the Hacettepe Symphony Orchestra. Seeking further artistic development, he pursued a master’s degree at the same university, focusing his thesis on “The Wetting Process and Performance Impact of Reed Materials Used in Bassoon Reed Making.” His two-year research led to advancements in reed making, culminating in his graduation from the program in 2016.
Determined to continue his academic career, Üzülmez was accepted into the Doctorate of Arts program at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in 2018. Within this program, he concentrated on the contrabassoon concerto “Gezinti,” dedicated to him by his colleague Mustafa Kemal Saydam. Through a detailed analysis of the piece, Üzülmez earned his doctorate in 2021.
During his master’s studies, Üzülmez was accepted into the Sibelius Academy of Music in Helsinki, Finland, under the Erasmus program. This nine-month period allowed him to explore new musical concepts and instruments such as the baroque bassoon and contrabassoon, studying with esteemed instructors Jussi Särkkä, Erkki Suomalainen, Otto Virtanen, and Jaakko Luoma. He successfully integrated his learning into his performances.
Üzülmez has contributed as a guest bassoon and contrabassoon artist with numerous orchestras, including the Bursa State Symphony, Antalya State Symphony, Bilkent Symphony, Çukurova State Symphony, TRNC Presidential Symphony, Tekfen Philharmonic, Borusan Philharmonic, and Cemal Reşit Rey Symphony Orchestras. While abroad, he performed with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. In September 2021, he was invited as a solo bassoonist to the gala concert of the Nordic Symphony Orchestra to perform Guy Braunstein’s “Abbey Road” and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5.
In Turkey, Üzülmez has performed as a soloist in many concerts. He debuted with the Hacettepe Symphony Orchestra, performing Mozart’s symphonic concertante. In 2017, he requested his close friend Mustafa Kemal Saydam to compose a contrabassoon concerto. The resulting piece, “Gezinti,” was premiered by Üzülmez with the Hacettepe Symphony Orchestra, marking him as Turkey’s first contrabassoon soloist. This well-received work was broadcast on Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) stations and subsequently performed by the Çukurova State Symphony Orchestra, Anadolu Symphony Orchestra, and Bursa State Symphony Orchestra. In March 2021, Üzülmez performed F. Danzi’s concertante for clarinet and bassoon with the Antalya State Symphony Orchestra.
Üzülmez also participated in a CD recording with the TRT Radio Choirs for the documentary “Dev Kanatlar” and recorded a piece composed by Mohammad Reza Darvishi at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory with the Hacettepe Symphony Orchestra. He later recorded another CD with the Hacettepe Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Ateş Pars. In 2021, he was invited by the Tekfen Philharmonic Orchestra to record a CD of Ferit Tüzün’s “Nasrettin Hoca” suite as a contrabassoon artist.
Onur Üzülmez has graced numerous festivals, including the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Young Euro Classic Berlin Summer Festival, Mersin Music Festival, Opus Amadeus Chamber Music Festival, Ankara Music Festival, and Bodrum Music Festival. Since 2002, he has served as the principal bassoonist for the Hacettepe Symphony Orchestra. In 2022, he earned the title of Associate Professor. Committed to passing on his knowledge to young musicians, Üzülmez continues his artistic and educational endeavors as a associate professor at Hacettepe University Ankara State Conservatory.